Oats have been traditionally consumed mainly as breakfast cereals and in bakery products. During the last years new types of oat products have been developed. Examples are non-dairy products, such as oat milk, oat based drinks, creams, desserts and fermented products such as yoghurt-like products.
Oat grain contains phytochemicals that can be classified as antioxidants. Antioxidants are substances that when present at low concentrations compared with those of an oxidizable substrate, delay or inhibit oxidation of that substrate. High consumption of antioxidant rich foods has been associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and cancer in epidemiological studies. The oat antioxidants consist mainly of phenolic compounds as well as tocopherols and tocotrienols. The processing methods of oat based foods affect the content of antioxidants in the final oat based products. Some of the antioxidant compounds are for example sensitive to heat treatments.
It is well known that berries have generally higher content of antioxidant compounds than other food items, such as vegetables, fruits or cereals. The spectrum of the antioxidants found in berries is also wide, including for example phenolic compounds such as flavonoids, phenolic acids and tannins. Main flavonoid subgroups in berries are anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, flavonols and cathecins. Flavonoid profiles vary between different berries. A high proportion of anthocyanins is found e.g. in blueberries and crowberries. A high proportion of ellagitannins is found e.g. in raspberries, strawberries and cloudberries. A high proportion of flavonols (such as quercetin, kaempherol, myricetin) is found e.g. in sea buckthorn berries, cranberries, lingonberries, black currants and gooseberries. The health effects of flavonoids have so far been mainly demonstrated in vitro and in animal studies. In human trials the results have been more variable. However, for flavonols, especially quercetin, there are sufficient intervention trials to indicate the health effects among humans in vivo. Quercetin influences some carcinogenesis markers and has effects on plasma antioxidant biomarkers in vivo (Williamson and Manach, Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 2005; 81:243 S-255S).
EP0231729 discloses a process to manufacture products starting from whole flour of starch-containing cereal grains, such as wheat, barley, oat, rye, rice, maize or sorghum. The carbohydrates are enzymatically degraded while the remaining components of the whole flour are maintained substantially intact. The product prepared by the process has a fairly high dry matter content (33-46%) and it is mentioned that the product can be used as powder drinks or in nutritional drinks.
EP0731646 discloses a homogenous and stable cereal suspension prepared from oats by a specific process. The suspension may be used as basis for or additive to ice cream, gruel, yoghurt and milkshake, or as health drink or snack between meals.
EP0883349 discloses an enzymatic process for forming a functional syrup from oat material or waxy barley. Especially non-dairy frozen confections are disclosed. Also the addition of the syrup into carbohydrate-loading beverages is mentioned.
WO00/30457 discloses an enzymatic process for producing a liquid oat base. The base can be added to other drink ingredients such as orange juice or milk or it can be dried into a powder.
Both EP1123012 and EP1383396 disclose an enzyme modified cereal suspension prepared by a specific process from grains e.g. oats, barley, rice, wheat, maize, rye, sorghum, triticale and pearl millet. The cereal suspensions can be used as milk substitute, as the basis for or an additive in the manufacture of ice cream, gruel, yoghurt, milkshakes and snacks.
WO03/075683 discloses a modified starch containing liquid and a preparation method thereof. The modified starch containing liquid may be used as such or as an ingredient for different food and feed products and compositions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,821 discloses a beverage containing natural fiber, glucans and a flavoring agent. The glucans are substantially derived from a natural grain. The flavoring agent is preferably vanilla.
EP1816920 discloses an edible fiber composition in liquid form that contains soluble and non-soluble dietary fibers.
WO2004/093571 describes e.g. cereal milk based drinks in which the bitter, sour and/or astringent taste has been masked with plant sterol ester and/or plant stanol ester.
There are some oat based drink products containing berries or berry juices on the market e.g. drinks that contain strawberry juice, raspberry or blackberry. Strong tasting berry juices, such as sea buckthorn juice, have been added only in small quantities (0.3-1.3%) into oat based drinks. Prior art does not disclose oat based drinks having strong tasting berry juices in higher concentrations.
Often the strong tasting berries, such as sea buckthorn berry, lingonberry, cranberry and black currant have also the highest content of a certain antioxidant compound, quercetin, among berries.
It would be beneficial to widen the range of berries used in oat based drinks for several health and nutritional reasons. Also increasing the concentration of the berry juice in the drinks will improve these effects. It would also be beneficial to have oat based drinks that would have improved taste and/or improved stability as well as increased content of different antioxidants compared to the content found in the processed oat based drinks in the prior art. It would also be an advantage to use natural antioxidants and to avoid adding antioxidants as artificial additives.
The present invention provides products meeting one or more of these requirements.